Update | Keychron launches two new aluminium wireless Hall-effect gaming keyboards to challenge Wooting for the crown

January 8, 2025 04:29 GMT update: In a response to an enquiry by Notebookcheck, Keychron confirmed that it will release the Lemokey P1 HE and Keychron Q6 HE in DE, UK, Swiss, and Nordic ISO layouts, although it could not yet provide a time frame for the launch of the ISO versions. Original article continues below.
Keychron has been on a roll lately, updating many of its classic keyboard designs with new firmware, switch options, and sound damping materials. Now, though, Keychron is introducing two brand-new Hall-effect gaming keyboards to challenge the likes of Wooting for the gaming crown.
The keyboards in question are the Keychron Q6 HE, a 100% layout HE keyboard with a NUM pad, and the Lemokey P1 HE, which is a 75% keyboard, delivering more of a balance between compactness and functionality.
Keychron Q6 HE and Lemokey P1 key specifications
Keychron Q6 HE | Lemokey P1 HE | |
---|---|---|
Form factor and size | Full-size, 137 × 446 mm, 20.6 mm front height | Exploded 75%, 322 × 140 mm, 19.2 mm front height |
Case material | Aluminium | Aluminium |
Weight | 2178 g | 1630 g |
Plate material and mounting style | Aluminium plate with silicone strip gasket mount | Aluminium plate with silicone bean gasket mount |
Stabilisers | Screw-in PCB-mount stabilisers | Screw-in PCB-mount stabilisers |
Connectivity | USB type-C, 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.2 | USB type-C, 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.2 |
Battery capacity | 4,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
Default switch options | Gateron double-rail magnetic pre-lubed 40–60 gf linear switches | Gateron double-rail magnetic pre-lubed 40–60 gf linear switches |
Layout | 100% ANSI | 75% ANSI |
Keycap material and profile | OSA profile double-shot PBT non-shine-through | Cherry profile double-shot PBT shine-through |
Customisation software | Keychron launcher, QMK | Lemokey launcher, QMK |
Backlight | Per-key south-facing RGB backlighting | Per-key north-facing RGB backlighting |
Polling rate | 1,000 Hz over wired and 2.4 GHz, 90 Hz over Bluetooth | 1,000 Hz over wired and 2.4 GHz, 125 Hz over Bluetooth |
Price | $229 | $169 |
Availability | Keychron online store | Keychron online store |
Aside from the more compact layout of the 75% Lemokey P1 HE, the two new HE keyboards from Keychron may seem similar at first glance, and they are, but there are some key differences that set them apart. While they both use aluminium plates and cases, the silicone bean gasket mounts of the Lemokey P1 are likely to feel slightly stiffer than the silicone strips used in the Keychron Q6 HE. Additionally, the keyboards differ greatly in terms of aesthetics and ergonomics. For starters, the Lemokey P1 HE has shine-through Cherry keycaps, which makes customising the RGB on the P1 HE somewhat more impactful than in the case of the Q6 HE, which does not have shine-through keycaps. It's also going to be more challenging to find shine-through keycaps for the Q6 HE, since the south-facing RGB generally appear dim and inconsistent when used with shine-through keycaps meant for north-facing keycaps.
The keycaps on the Q6 HE are also OSA (OEM Spherical Angled) profile, which is much taller than the Cherry profile found in the P1 HE. Although these keycaps are likely to be more comfortable to type on, and they should produce a deeper sound, they are probably not going to be as comfortable to game on as the Cherry profile P1 HE keycaps.
Back to similarities, both the P1 HE and Q6 HE use Gateron's double-rail magnetic switches, which have a middle-of-the-road 40 gf actuation force and 60 gf bottom out. These switches and Hall-effect sensors also give both keyboards all gaming tricks that we've come to expect from HE keyboards, like rapid trigger, adjustable actuation point, dynamic keystroke, and SOCD. These features are all also found in the Wooting 80 HE and Glorious GMMK 3 Pro HE we recently reviewed.
Unlike the Wooting 80HE, however, the new Lemokey and Keychron Hall-effect keyboards don't have 8,000 Hz polling, instead trading the performance for wireless connectivity, which tops out at 1,000 Hz polling in 2.4 GHz mode. This polling rate still matches the Wooting 60HE, so the Keychron and Lemokey keyboards are certainly no slouches when it comes to gaming.
Source(s)
Keychron